Ruby Bridges

Ruby Bridges

“Please, God, try to forgive those people.
Because even if they say those bad things.
They don’t know what they’re doing.
So you could forgive them,
When they said terrible things about you.
Just like you did those folks a long time ago.”

This is a quote, that Ruby Bridges said when the angry mob of white people called her cruel names, and threatened to kill her. This quote shows that Ruby Bridges is a hero.

Ruby Bridges’ early life was very unique. Ruby Bridges was born on September 8th, 1954, in Tylertown, Mississippi. Ruby had younger brothers and a sister. Ruby’s family was very poor. Her father worked picking crops; there were times when Ruby’s family didn’t have much to eat. The people who owned the land were bringing in machines to pick the crops, so her father lost his job. That’s when they moved to the old seaport city of New Orleans. In 1958 when Ruby was four, Ruby’s father became a janitor, after Ruby and her siblings fell asleep; her mom went to work scrubbing floors at a bank.

At that time black children and white children were separated into different schools. The black children didn’t get as good as an education as the white children. It wasn’t fair, and it was against the laws. In 1960 a judge ordered four black children to go to white elementary schools. Three of the girls were sent to McDonough 19. Six-year-old Ruby Bridges was sent to first grade in the William Frantz elementary school.

On Ruby’s first day of first grade a large crowd of angry white people gathered outside the Frantz elementary school. The people carried signs that said they didn’t want blacks in a white school. Some people even threatened to kill her. One person even threatened to poison her food. The city and state police did not help Ruby. They ordered federal marshals to walk with Ruby into school. The marshals carried weapons just in case somebody came close to Ruby. After Ruby graduated high school. She went to the college of New Rochelle. She had a good education. As you can see Ruby Bridges was very unique.

Ruby Bridges

Ruby Bridges had many accomplishments in her lifetime. In 1960 when Ruby was in 1st grade, she stopped segregation. What this means is the practice of setting one racial group apart from another. Now, there are laws against segregation of black children and white children in the public schools. Ruby Bridges received two honorary college degrees. She has been featured in newspaper articles and made television appearances. Out of all these accomplishments she began a Ruby Bridges foundation. Ruby traveled around the world telling her life story. In conclusion Ruby Bridges achieved her goals.

Ruby Bridges had to face many challenges because she was African American. African Americans were treated differently just because they had a different skin color than the white people. Most of them worked as laborers, and the worst part was whites and blacks weren’t allowed in the same school. This was called segregation. In 1960 Ruby was chosen to go to William Frantz elementary school. So the white people stood outside the school holding up signs that said no black children allowed. This was a very hard time for Ruby. Another obstacle Ruby had to go through was that she was poor. It was hard for Ruby’s family to get through these times of hunger. Ruby faced these accomplishments even though she and her family struggled.

To me, Ruby Bridges had many qualities that helped her become successful. Ruby Bridges was very brave because every morning she went through the angry mob of white people, standing outside William Frantz elementary school. Another trait that made Ruby successful was that she was confident, she would pray every morning for segregation to stop, but she confidently walked into William Frantz each day even though she was afraid. The last trait Ruby showed was forgiveness. I think she showed this action by asking God to forgive the people that were calling her names. Even though the people threatened to kill her.

Over all Ruby Bridges taught me to stand up for what I believe in. Imagine how life would be if it wasn’t for Ruby Bridges. This is what makes Ruby Bridges a heroine.